Assassination defines killing of an eminent person: a religious leader or the head of a state by stabbing to death with a knife or shooting down with a gun. This type of murder has been in existence right from the ancient times to even today.

July15, 44 BC. Julius Caesar, the self-styled dictator of Rome was slain by his close senate members namely, Brutus, Cassius and many others.

Friday Jesus Christ, the religious leader of Christianity was crucified by those who hated him.

1100 AD. An Arch Bishop of Henry II, Thomas Becket was slain.

1600 “ King Henry VI of the British Royal family was killed.

1865 ” Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of USA, was tragically shot dead. 1181 I Alexander of Russia was murdered.

1914 ” Prince of Austria, Ferdinand was gunned down by the Serbian army. Incidentally, it triggered the World War-I

1918 AD Russian ruler Czar Nicholas was killed by the rivals.

1948 ” Mahatma Gandhi was shot to death by a religious fanatic.

1963 ” The 35th President of USA J F Kennedy was shot to death by Oswald.

1968 “ Martin Luther Kingjr. a Baptist minister and a great leader who waged a war against the racism, was slain.

1970s” Anwar Sadat, Egyptian President was brutally shot dead by a soldier.

1984 ” Former PM Indira Gandhi was shot down by her own guard. This was because the PM, who suspected that the militants were hiding inside the Sikh’s Shrine, the Golden Temple, had ordered the military under the name of “Operation Blue star.” It was anti-religious! Thus, the assailant justified it.

1991” Rajiv Gandhi of India, leader of the congress party (and the PM before) was killed by a human bomb at a venue in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai in 1991.